The gas emanating from a solid-propellant gas generator, such as those used in aerospace applications, is contaminated by particulates from the solid propellant itself and is usually at high temperature and velocity. A problem inhibiting the sequential use of gas generators exiting into a common gas manifold is that the hot gases produced by the generator first ignited could flow back up the common manifold and ignite other generators prematurely.
Therefore there is a need for a valve that can hermetically seal off a secondary gas generator from hot dirty gases within a common gas manifold, that will open only in response to gas pressure from that secondary (upstream) gas generator, that can accommodate high temperatures, and that will offer minimal flow resistance once open. Additionally it is necessary that the valve be simple and light weight, reliable, unaffected by contamination, and not be susceptible to shattering on opening (which could release fragments downstream causing damage to a gas-powered device).
The present invention solves the problem and satisfies the needs for a practical burst diaphragm sequence valve suitable for solid propellant gas generator applications.